Viddal Riley sends Oleksandr Usyk blunt message amid cruiserweight return talks

European cruiserweight Viddal Riley has warned Oleksandr Usyk about returning to a stacked cruiserweight division that he's ready to take over.

There can be no doubt that the entire boxing world is already starting to count down the days to the blockbuster superfight between British heavyweight greats Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua next month.

But long before we see Fury and AJ in the ring, one of the most promising talents in British combat sports is set to defend his European cruiserweight title at the OVO Arena Wembley on November 14.

After picking up boxing when he was just three years old, London's Riley became a big player in the boxing social media scene through his work training social media star KSI for his bouts against Joe Weller and Logan Paul.

Riley eventually left the influencer boxing scene behind to pursue a professional career, making his debut in November 2018. Since then, he has built an impressive unbeaten record of 14-0 and claimed the European Boxing Union cruiserweight title.

And ahead of his title fight against an unbeaten Seydi Coupe, Riley spoke to SPORTbible about the current state of the cruiserweight division and offered a warning to former undisputed champion Usyk amid reports he's set to return after a spell dominating at heavyweight.

Viddal Riley's warning to Oleksandr Usyk ahead of cruiserweight return

Before he was a titan of the heavyweight division, Usyk also dominated at cruiserweight, becoming the division’s first undisputed champion of the four-belt era with notable wins over the likes of Tony Bellew.

Having then gone up a weight class and becoming a two-time undisputed champion at heavyweight, many fans expected the Ukrainian to call time on his career following his stunning win over Rico Verhoeven outside the Great Pyramid of Giza in May.

But for Riley, who will almost certainly challenge for a world title should he get past Coupe, Uysk's return to cruiserweight, while exciting, just causes more of a headache in what is already a stacked weight class.

Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible, Riley said: "It's good for the division in terms of it being spoken about, but for someone like me it just creates more mess.

"It creates more mess and more uncertainty on what happens at the top and what's happening with the world titles.

"I just don't get why he wants to do it, he needs to just go away bro, honestly.

"You've been undisputed at cruiserweight, undisputed at heavyweight, you've fought some people twice, you've travelled to everyone's country and taken their belts, you're 40 years old, go away bro."

Before the Coupe fight was confirmed, Riley was already in line to face David Nyika for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title, but the fight ultimately didn't materialise, in part due to former champion Jai Opetaia’s legal challenge against being stripped.

Winning on November 14 should mean that Riley is next in line either for the IBF belt or for a superfight against the winner of WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez's bout with WBC champion Michal Cieslak on December 5.

However, Usyk's return could complicate things, with the former undisputed champion already linked with a potential mega fight that could see all four of the belts on the line next year, snatching away Riley's title shot once again.

"I mean, who's going to be surprised? I'm not going to be surprised," Riley told SPORTbible when asked about the possibility of Usyk jumping straight into a title bout.

"Am I going to be shocked? Am I going to flip the table in my house like 'Oh my god, how can they give the title shot to him?' No, it's boxing and it's predictable, we know what's going to happen.

"I'd be more surprised if it doesn't go that way. I'm expecting him to come back down and walk into a title fight, otherwise why would he even bother, it's a waste of his time.

"I expect Usyk to say 'Look, I'm back and everyone bow down to the fact he's that guy.'"

Although Usyk once dominated the cruiserweight division and silenced the doubters when moving up to heavyweight, Riley has warned that he's seen signs of decline in the 40-year-old boxing legend, claiming things might not go his way if he stepped in with the likes of Benavidez.

Riley claimed: "Age is not on his side; I think we've seen him decline. He's still victorious, and he's still the highly skilled individual that he is, but if you watch boxing and have watched boxing across the course of the years, you can see him declining.

"So someone like Benavidez, he's intense, walking you down, throwing as many punches as he throws, I don't think it's a good idea, I don't think it's a good idea, but it's not my business.”

When pitched the prospect of being the one to welcome Usyk back to cruiserweight, Riley had no questions about how the bout would go.

“I want to fight Usyk, yeah, you've got to go for the goat," he told SPORTbible.

"I'm backing myself every day, all day, every day till I die, that's how I am and that's the only way to be in this game because you've got doubters everywhere and critics everywhere. The least you can do is believe in yourself."

READ MORE: Tony Bellew revealed which boxer had the hardest punch and it's not Oleksandr Usyk

Viddal Riley beat Mateusz Masternak to win his European Cruiserweight title in April. (Image: Getty Images)

Viddal Riley reveals the one reason why he's the 'wrong person' for Seydi Coupe to step up against

Before Riley can look ahead to a potential mega fight with Usyk, he first has to get past unbeaten Frenchman Coupe tomorrow in his first headline bout at London’s OVO Arena Wembley.

Like Riley, Coupe has a 14-0 record, but ahead of the fight, the Englishman told SPORTbible that it's his experience with higher-level opposition and in bigger events that will see him successfully defend his title on Saturday.

“I'm expecting him to be game, I'm expecting him to try his best to try and prove something to himself," Riley told SPORTbible.

"I've been in that position, I know how it feels to be in that position, but I'm just the wrong person to do that with.

"I'm just the wrong person to climb the level against, he might be able to do it on another day, in another stage of his career, but I'm just the wrong person to try and take that leap of faith with.”

Having already defeated two previously unbeaten fighters, Riley shrugged off his opponent's perfect record, adding: "I've not had a career of fighting people with major losing records, so I don't look at his record and think, 'oh, I'm fighting someone that's undefeated,'

"This is just the next guy. But I expect him to really give it his best, I've got to be alert, I've got to be on point.

"It's an opportunity for him to change his life and put his name on the map and I don't discredit that, and there's a lot of weight in that.

"So I've got to be on point, and me being on point, with him being on point, it shouldn't be comparable."

Riley vs. Coupe will be shown live on DAZN, with coverage starting from 7pm. The ring walk for the main event is scheduled for 10.23pm.